Entertainment
Did Alex Kurtzman Personally Sign Star Trek's Death Warrant?
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
One of the many reasons Trekkies were salty about Starfleet Academy is that they wanted a different show entirely. Specifically, they wanted Star Trek: Legacy, a series in which Seven of Nine is the captain of the Enterprise.
Picking up where Picard left off, this show would give us adventures set in the 25th century while mixing new characters with familiar faces from shows like The Next Generation and Voyager. Fan demand for this show was insanely high, and since we never got it, there have been persistent rumors that Alex Kurtzman hated and ultimately killed that project, driving Picard showrunner Terry Matalas away so that he could focus on Starfleet Academy, his passion project.
Now, Jamie Rixom of the popular Tachyon Pulse podcast has presented a different narrative. He claims that both Kurtzman and Paramount were very eager to make Star Trek: Legacy, but that Kurtzman convinced them to do Starfleet Academy first.
However, the merger with Skydance and the subsequent purchase of Warner Bros. suddenly turned the future of the franchise into a question mark. If this is true, then Kurtzman effectively signed Star Trek’s death warrant by insisting on a doomed show that will almost certainly result in Paramount killing the franchise as we know it.
A New Spin On Old Rumors
During his recent podcast, Jamie Rixom addressed the most common narrative about Star Trek: Legacy. Namely, that Alex Kurtzman was jealous of how much fans liked Picard Season 3 and how much credit they were giving to showrunner Terry Matalas. That narrative (which, to be fair, is mostly touted by avowed Kurtzman haters) claims that Kurtzman wanted to ice Matalas out and then shove Starfleet Academy down our throats. There has never been any real confirmation of these rumors, but based on the fact that he was co-showrunner, it seems true that SFA was a real passion project for Kurtzman.
Rixom presents an interesting variant of these rumors. Citing his insider knowledge of studio wheelings and dealings, he claims that Paramount and Kurtzman were very keen to do Star Trek: Legacy, but that the network didn’t want more than two Trek shows streaming at once. Therefore, Starfleet Academy got the green light first, and there were allegedly plans to start working on Legacy after Strange New Worlds wrapped up. However, the merger with Skydance effectively shut down production of new shows in the franchise, though hopes were high that the already greenlit SFA would prove popular. Now, that show has been canceled after Season 1, leaving Star Trek in a kind of creative limbo.
Our Last Hope, Lost
Obviously, the show will go on, and Paramount will create new movies and TV shows in this franchise because it is one of their most bankable IPs. Why, then, do I believe that Alex Kurtzman has killed the brand as we know it? Because we’re never going to get another show anything like the Golden Age of Star Trek. Legacy was our last shot at getting a series that had familiar faces and took place in the beloved time period of TNG and DS9.
If Legacy had gotten the green light instead of SFA, then its inevitable success (remember how much everyone liked Picard Season 3?) would encourage Paramount to make more Trek shows and movies in this vein. Now, though, I’d bet my last bar of gold-pressed latinum that Paramount’s new leadership will look at the failure of Starfleet Academy and the general train wreck that is NuTrek and decide to reboot this entire universe for a second time. Kurtzman haters may cheer at this prospect, but consider this: new shows headed by a new empty suit who has even less reason to care about canon are going to be even less like classic Trek than ever before.
Star Trek In Name Only
Star Trek: Legacy wasn’t just fans’ wishful thinking: it was, in every way that counts, the last chance to get a new show with the vibe of beloved series like The Next Generation and Voyager. Even in the kinder, gentler narrative of Jamie Rixom’s alleged insider info, Alex Kurtzman is still the guy who personally championed making SFA instead of Legacy. He had no way of knowing about the upcoming changes to Paramount, but his decision still guaranteed the last show of the NuTrek era was a complete failure that will likely doom this franchise as the network builds new shows that are Star Trek in name only.
Before Paramount fully runs Trek into the ground, I have a simple request: can you please shoot Kurtzman’s contract out of the nearest airlock?
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 19, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Lippy
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Green: Gowns
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Blue: Played in Vegas
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Purple: Sweet treats
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Cheeky
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Green: Dress measurements
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Blue: Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em
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Purple: Last words of candy brands in the singular
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1043 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Cheeky: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE
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Dress measurements: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST
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Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
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Last words of candy brands in the singular: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
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Modify
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Alter
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Improve
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Tweak
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Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
To rise.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
STAND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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